Russian Sport Facing Doping, Corruption Allegations Following Documentary

(ATR) Russian sport is headed for a major doping scandal following allegations of corruption and systematic doping reported in a documentary aired by German broadcaster ARD.

Prominent Russian athletes, coaches and other whistleblowers have undermined this year's Olympic success in Sochi and at London 2012 as well as previous major international competitions – speaking on camera to ARD and offering extensive evidence.

The one-hour documentary, entitled "Secret Doping Dossier: How Russia Produces its Winners," which aired Wednesday night on German ARD, included the reported admission of drug use by former 800-meter runner Yuliya Stepanova (formerly Yuliya Rusanova), who is currently serving a doping suspension. German journalist Hajo Seppelt also reports on cover-ups and extortion involving three-time Chicago Marathon winner Liliya Shobukhova.

ARD appears to show reigning Olympic 800-meter champion Maria Savinova admitting to using the banned steroid oxandrolone in an undercover video. The broadcaster’s report linked doping to Russian officials and athletes in additional sports, including swimming, cycling, biathlon, weightlifting and cross-country skiing.

Stepanova accuses the Russian sports system of having achieved much of its success through doping and related fraudulent practices.

"That is hammered into the coaches and the coaches hammer it into the athletes. The athletes, therefore, do not think when they are taking banned drugs that they are doing something wrong," Stepanova said.

"The coaches take any girl, feed her with tablets and then she runs. And tomorrow, she will be suspended and then they say, we’ll find a new one. They feed them and say, ‘Yes, take that. Everyone takes it. Take these substances.' And when one is caught, they throw the athlete away and pick up a new one."

Both ARD and French newspaper L'Equipe reported that Shobukhova, who won the Chicago Marathon for three consecutive years between 2009 and 2011, along with the London Marathon in 2010, paid the All-Russia Athletics Federation (ARAF) €450,000 ($562,500) to cover up a positive doping case.

Russian Athletics Federation (ARAF) president Valentin Balakhnichev, who refused interviews with Seppelt for the program, called the allegations "a pack of lies" as reported by Reuters on Thursday.

"I can say that they are a pack of lies, and it is an unfair account," Balakhnichev said. "I will be able to give a more accurate and fuller commentary later in the day once we have studied the situation further."

Other Russian whistleblowers interviewed by ARD include 400-meter runner Valentin Krugliakov, discus thrower Eugenia Pecherina and former Russian athletics coach Oleg Popov.

Pecherina, who is serving a 10-year doping ban, told Seppelt that a vast majority of Russian athletes are doping.

"Most of them, the majority, 99%. And you can get absolutely everything. Everything the athlete wants," she says in the documentary.

Shedding light on how Russian athletes protected themselves against doping controls abroad, Stepanova advised: "In a training camp in Portugal, our athletes simply lived under false names. They have taken banned substances. They undertook a course of doping, and to ensure that foreign controllers did not come and test them, they provided false names."

The reports also include accusations from former Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) official - and Stepanova’s husband - Vitaly Stepanov. Interviews were conducted in Berlin, where the couple resides.

"There were times in Rusada when I heard people from the ministry, from the anti-doping department, would call to Rusada and wanted to see who the athlete is, who has the positive sample and if it is a no-name, then the sample is positive," Stepanov said. "If it is someone famous or someone young and medal-hopeful, then it is a mistake and it is not reported."

Stepanov told ARD that various Russian sports federations "would come to (Russian) doping control officers" offering "extra cash" to hush up positive tests.

He also accused the head of the national doping test laboratory, Grigory Rodchenkov, of falsifying tests and selling banned substances.

The Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) said there was nothing to support the allegations.

In an interview with the ARD, the current director-general of RUSADA Nikita Kamaev, who only came into office after Stepanov had left RUSADA, rejected all accusations.

"They do not have the facts or the documents, which support any offenses carried out against the anti-doping principles," Kamaev said in an interview with R-Sport Agency.

"In terms of a statement on WADA's website, RUSADA has not received an official request regarding this issue. We believe that the speculation and the statements are completely unfounded.

"In terms of the television program, I have not seen it, as I do not understand German well enough. Therefore I am not able to comment on it.

While research for the documentary was in progress, Shobukhova was suspended after all by the Russian Federation at the end of April 2014. The IAAF itself indicates that in the case of suspensions, due to blood passport profiles sanctioning may take longer, but speaks of Shobukhova’s case citing a significant delay.

According to Liliya Shobukhova and her husband, they demanded the return of the money paid from the Russian sport officials. Evidence is shown, proving that ARAF president Balaknichev was apparently involved, that thorough Black Tidings Publishing in Singapore, 300,000 Euros was paid back to Shobukhova. When questioned regarding the incident, Balakhnichev did not reply.

In response to ARD’s documentary, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said it will investigate the allegations.

WADA issued the following statement on its website: "WADA has seen the German television documentary alleging systematic doping in Russia, and other breaches of the World Anti-Doping Code. WADA will ensure that all matters raised are fully investigated. WADA has in fact already received some information and evidence of the type exposed in the documentary. All of that information has been passed to the appropriate independent body within the international federation, the IAAF. We will await the outcome of that independent body’s deliberations.

"Insofar as the particular allegations against Russian authorities and others are concerned, these will all be carefully scrutinized and if action is warranted, WADA will take any necessary and appropriate steps under the code."

Reached for comment prior to the IOC Extraordinary Session in Monaco, WADA president Craig Reedie told Around the Rings he has read a translated transcription of the allegations.

"Nobody can be happy when accusations like that are being made. They have to deal with it," Reedie said in reference to the IAAF.

He also said he hopes the allegations do not overshadow the upcoming Olympic Agenda 2020 reforms, which contain a few key measures related to doping.

IOC spokesman Mark Adams also commented on the developing situation.

"These are serious allegations. I understand an investigation is already under way by the IAAF ethics commission and we await the full findings," Adams told the Associated Press. "Should there be anything affecting the International Olympic Committee and our code of ethics we will not hesitate take any and all action necessary."

IOC president Thomas Bach told ATR the IOC ethics commission is already in touch with its IAAF counterpart.

"Depending on this, the IOC will take action. This is in the hands of the IAAF ethics commission."

Bach declined to name specific actions which could take place. He said he was informed last night and does not think a possible scandal will overshadow the Olympic Agenda reforms process.

According to the Russian news Agency TASS, the Russian Athletics Federation will hold an emergency meeting later on Thursday.

Written by Brian Pinelli and Ed Hula III

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